Champagne Sunrise
by LadyofDodge
Summary: I've always been slightly amused that, in "The Wedding," Matt is wearing a heavy coat, and Kitty is talking about going on a picnic. And now it occurs to me that it must have been a day in early spring, a day much like today when there's a chill in the early morning air, but the afternoon sun is warm and perfect for a romantic picnic. A short ATC for "The Wedding."


**Champagne Sunrise**

**A short ATC for "The Wedding"**

Three days after he had once again managed to shatter Kitty's daydreams, Matt Dillon moved quickly, silently up the back stairs of the Long Branch, removed the old key from its habitual place in his vest pocket—the one next to his heart—and let himself in the balcony door that led to her rooms. He crossed the ornate sitting room to her bedroom door, and, still moving with amazing stealth for someone his size, the big lawman knelt on one knee beside his sleeping beauty.

"Wake up, pretty lady," he whispered as he brushed the tangled red curls back from her face.

Kitty's only response was a little moan as she snuggled deeper into the warmth of the flowered quilt.

This time Matt nuzzled her neck with his nose and tried again, "Please wake up, beautiful lady."

Kitty's blue eyes opened a slit. "What time is it?" she asked as she stared into the unyielding darkness of her bedroom.

"Uh, it's almost five o'clock, so I need you to get up and get dressed."

"What's wrong? When'd you get back? Are you all right?"

"Nothing's wrong. About an hour ago, and I'm fine. You, on the other hand, need to get up and get dressed right now."

"Have you lost your mind? No normal human gets up at this hour."

"Well, actually, that's not true. Quite a few normal humans are up and about already. If you hurry you'll get to see some of them...the milkman, the newsboy, the lamplighter." He grinned at her in the dark. "Bet you didn't even know old Cyrus snuffs the street lamps out in the morning same as he turns them on at night. Come on, let's get you dressed."

"Maaatt," she whined and again burrowed into the soft pillow.

"You wanna go on that picnic or not?"

"Picnic! Are you crazy? It's not even five in the morning!"

"I know. That's why we have to hurry."

"Okay. I get it. I'm still asleep and dreaming that the most handsome man in the entire state of Kansas is in my bedroom trying to get me_** into**_ my clothes so that I'll go on a picnic with him at five o'clock in the morning. Do I have it right so far?"

"Perfect, except you're not dreaming. Oh, and I'm not sure about that 'entire state of Kansas' part. Come on, Kit, get up. We need to get going."

"Picnic?" She repeated the word once more as if it were a new one in her vocabulary.

"Yeah, just like you wanted—Spring Creek, champagne chilled in the stream, cold chicken in a basket—like we used to. Except, better make it hot buttered biscuits dripping with honey, scrambled eggs, thick ham slices, potatoes fried with onions..."

Kitty's sapphire eyes snapped open. "You're serious? We're going on a breakfast picnic?"

"If you ever get out of bed we are. I want us to be out of Dodge before the entire town wakes up and someone decides he needs me to chase down a lost cow or find the culprit that swiped an apple pie from her window sill." As his plan began to come together, Matt smiled and added, "I'll get the breakfast and the buggy. Can you meet me in the alley in half an hour? And, uh, can you supply the champagne?"

Kitty's radiant face popped up from the pillow and her arms reached around his neck. "Yes! To both questions. You bet I can, Cowboy! You've got yourself a date!"

XXXXXX

Thirty minutes later, the picnic basket, the champagne, a skillet and a few blankets were stowed in the buggy, and the lovers were giggling like truant school children as they trotted silently out of town toward the first streaks of pink on the eastern horizon.

The early morning air was still chilly, and little puffs of breath emanated from Holly's nostrils as the little mare sped the giddy couple toward Spring Creek. Kitty wrapped her black wool shawl tightly around her slender frame and curled up against her favorite lawman. He transferred the reins to his right hand, and with the other drew her as close to his big body as possible, both for the pleasure and for the warmth.

"Look up there, Kitty." Matt pointed to the slowly brightening sky as a bald eagle flew overhead on its way to a nest high in the barren branches of a tall oak tree.

"So beautiful...so graceful," she whispered.

For the next several miles neither spoke, simply wrapped up in the anticipatory thrill of spending the entire day together, with no interruptions.

As they reached the creek, deeper, richer shades of orange and pink and red began to cut through the morning sky, casting a kaleidoscopic reflection on the clear, gently flowing water. As Matt helped Kitty from the buggy and slid her down the long, hard length of his body, he made a silent vow that his lady's dreams would not be shattered this day.

The End


End file.
